Why protect wetlands?

Wetlands, especially those at the headwaters and along the main branch of rivers and streams, store large amounts of water during rainy periods.  This storage of flood waters reduces peak flows downstream, thereby reducing potential flood damage to downstream property owners.  When wetlands and floodplains are filled and the flood storage capacity is lost, property, homes and businesses downstream, which were never flooded previously may become subject to flooding.  To date, Massachusetts has lost nearly a third of its original natural wetlands acreage to agricultural, commercial and residential development.  The cost of this loss may include degraded water quality; increased storm damage; depleted fish, wildlife and plant populations.